Aquatera has finally hired a company to build a connection between the Clairmont lagoon and Grande Prairie’s wastewater system. It’s been years in the making, and the utility company confirmed Thursday that Mainline Construction was the successful bidder on the $17.3 million project.
Thanks to the rapid growth of the region, the hamlet’s lagoon is over capacity and connecting it to Aquatera’s treatment plant in the city has been the company’s highest priority. The goal is to also increase capacity for more growth in the northwest section of Grande Prairie.
So far, the project has received $15 million in federal and provincial grants, and only $3 million has been spent. That was towards the $11.2 million 116th Street sewer trunk extension, which was finished in 2016. Mainline was also hired for that project.
“We are grateful for the substantial investments made from higher levels of government as well
as our Shareholders to ensure this project was completed,” says Aquatera CEO Bernd Manz. “These investments will allow us build the infrastructure to fuel regional growth while reducing
the impact on utility customers.”
The final stage to connect the two systems will be to build a pump station at the lagoon, 8.2 kilometres of pipe that will take waste to 132nd Avenue, and another 1.1 kilometres of new gravity trunk sewer from 108th Avenue to 116th Avenue.
The County of Grande Prairie recently approved a rate hike that will help cover the cost of the Clairmont Lagoon Discharge project. Wastewater rates will go up by 9.9 per cent this year with a larger increase to follow in 2018. Water is going up 2.3 per cent each year.
